Yesterday, Tuesday, we pulled out of Amarillo, TX and headed for Oklahoma. We had a few goals. First we have not seen the National Memorial at the site of the Murrah Building, second, we had not stayed in Oklahoma in an RV so there was a blank on our door map to be completed and finally to cover as much territory as we could without going crazy.
We swung off I 40 into Oklahoma City with the assurance from the Welcome Center that there were accommodations for RVs. Well there are, sort of. The roads are wide enough for us to drive by the memorial and continue on through back on to the interstate. The signage directing visitors is almost nonexistent and there is nothing indicating anyplace for a visitor, especially a visitor in a 36 foot RV, to stop or park. This is the least welcoming National Monument we have ever tried to visit. We did see it at 5 mph, next time I will drive so Carol can see it.
We continued on down I 40, I 44 is more direct but is toll and heads too far north for our further plans. We did not have to work at stopping before leaving Oklahoma, it is a very wide state, although we have made it all the way across in a day in the past. We dropped a bit south in the Lake Eufala area, about 60 miles from the Arkansas border, to a Passport America campground on the lake – Terra Lake RV Park. Cheap is Cheap and $8.50 for the night did seem cheap in this day and age. We had all the hook ups we wanted and what more can you ask. The lake was missing! Drought will do that. It is 6 ½ feet below normal.
Early in the morning we were rolling, back to I 40 and then east, and then east and then east until we found a short cut on AR 64 then east back on to I 40 through and around Memphis and on to US 70 which has brought us to a Wal-Mart in Huntingdon, TN where we are spending the night.
Writing now in our den in Rochester I am trying to catch up. We rolled out of the Wal- Mart headed for the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in Tennessee and Kentucky. This was written up in the March issue of Family Motor Coach Magazine which we received while at Yechiel’s (I am not sure those who are not FMCA members will be able to reach this site). We reached the entry mid morning and began a slow drive up the Trace which is the central road through the area. We turned into the Elk and Bison Prairie and paid our $3 entry fee. We saw a bison herd immediately, but we are a bit blasé after the large herds we saw last summer. About half way through the drive we came upon this herd of elk 
The Hillman Ferry Campground where we set up camp for the night is at the north end of the LBL area. It is quite nice with many sites and clearly very popular in season. There were a lot of local people setting up camp there on Thursday as we got there. This is an area we would like to return to. We discovered that many “back country” areas have space for RVs and the only thing lacking is hookups. Clearly this presents a time limitation but we will look into it next time.
Friday we broke camp early and headed for Indianapolis, IN for a visit with Bobbi and David Lovenheim. We had extended time with them. Gee 2 was set up in the Indiana State Fairgrounds, not far from downtown Indianapolis and in the midst of a huge horse show at the fairgrounds. This also was over the Final Four weekend and as it devolved there was a major storm with possible tornados while we were there. Serious damage was done not far from Gee 2 while we were safe in the Lovenheim’s basement.
Monday morning we headed out knowing we were expected in Cleveland on Wednesday. Where to stop? I have always wanted to visit the National Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton and Carol conceded to viewing too many warplanes to please me. The museum is gargantuan. For a sense of size, in the third hangar space there is a B 52 and a Cargomaster C 133 (not sure about the exact designation) as well as representatives of every plane, munition, remote guided plane, what have you, that the Air Force has had in its inventory since the beginning of the cold war. We have pictures, but none of them do this place justice. Here is a shot taken from under the wing of the B 52: 
As we settled into Beaver Hollow CG in Springfield, OH for the night we called Lee and Tinya Cherney who live in Columbus, OH. We managed to connect and agreed to meet them for dinner the next day. We moved Gee 2 to Berkshire Lake CG just north of Columbus to be closer to Columbus and to Cleveland for departure on Wednesday. We have stayed at this camp ground before, on our way to the Indy 500 in 2003. It is fine and might be really nice in season although it does seem to be a bit “organized” for our needs. The Cherneys have been through some difficult times and it was good to see them and have a pleasant evening together.
On Wednesday it was on to Cleveland where we decided to stay at Indian Spring Camping Resort in Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH. It is a bit out of the way, over 40 miles east of Cleveland, but it is open and it is a known entity since we have stayed there twice before on winter trips. The accommodations are sparse, no water on the sites, and it is really pricey, especially since none of the expected amenities are open or useable. We had a great visit with Carole and Jake Slepian. Wednesday night Jake was home in time for us to go out to dinner and have a really good time. Thursday we went with Carole to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. We spent 4 and a half hours there and might have spent more time had we not been exhausted and they were near closing. Here is what the building on the Cleveland waterfront looks like. 
No photos are allowed inside and there was too much to see anyhow. Jake did not make it home for dinner on Thursday. He spent more time with patients then he had planned on.
Friday we cleaned up and drove to Rochester. The trip was uneventful and we joined Mom for dinner. The journal is closed for now.